


Rehabilitation

by Valmouth



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Canonical Character Death, Dark Humor, Gen, Hope, Pragmatism, Rehabilitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 18:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/929618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valmouth/pseuds/Valmouth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one thing Bruce has always taught him is that people need hope. So he gives Bruce hope, and it’s not his fault that it’s too much fun to watch Bruce turn himself inside out to rehabilitate him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rehabilitation

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own no rights to these two characters or to the creative universe they hail from. I mean no offence by posting this and make no money from it.

“I could rehabilitate you.”

He hears it all the time, in all the ways that Bruce doesn’t actually say the words.

He’s the crazy one. The one who needs work and care and attention and a firm hand. He’s the Bad Son.

The problem is, he knows his psychoses. He even knows his neuroses. And once, a very long time ago, Bruce pushed a textbook in front of him that told him all about the differences and definitions and combinations and permutations. He’d been what – what, twelve? And he’d diagnosed himself with every psychological disorder from A to Z.

But that was okay; Bruce had kept him around anyway.

Bruce had _helped_ him.

Jason had never been grateful exactly, but he’d believed Bruce hadn’t meant it the way it sounded back then. He’d believed in so many things.

He doesn’t believe in a hell of a lot now. Some basic things, sure – that scum should die, that innocents shouldn’t, that the fight is all he has left. Not much else, really.

Bruce believes in philosophies and principles. Then again, Bruce has never had to steal to put food in his month. He’s never been passed from person to person, like a hand-me-down dress. Like Cinderella, he’s always picked himself up out of the ashes and been the fucking belle of the ball. Because Bruce gets to have Fairy Godmothers and shit. He can afford beliefs.

Jason’s perfectly happy to take Bruce’s money instead of his love. Love doesn’t put a roof over his head, or combat boots on his feet. And Bruce can afford those too.

It helps, of course, that Jason’s most poignant amusement – most exquisite pleasure – is watching Bruce try to rehabilitate him.

“No guns.” So Jason doesn’t shoot to kill. He still carries a gun, though.

“Work with us.” So Jason takes his section of Gotham, parcelled out with Bruce’s typical, obsessive bias.

He does it as an indulgence, and because he chooses to.

If he happens to stray into the lion’s sector – Bruce’s sprawling network of filth and insanity – well. How can he be blamed? No one holds a mad dog responsible. As he knows. He still dies in a warehouse in his dreams, comes back to life in a coffin in his nightmares, and the Joker strolls out of Arkham like it’s all just a game.

Maybe it is.

Jason can imagine Bruce trying to rehabilitate the psycho.  Laughs about it without mercy because he can just see Bruce, big and strong and noble, standing there and making himself vulnerable enough to offer.

His favourite joke for six months is trying to figure out what Bruce would do if the Joker ever says yes.

Unfortunately, the Joker just doesn’t have the sense of humour to get how much more damage he could do from inside the circle.

Jason does. He doesn’t do it, naturally, but then he doesn’t mend his bridges either. The one thing Bruce has always taught him is that people need hope. So he gives Bruce hope, and it’s not his fault that it’s too much fun to watch Bruce turn himself inside out to rehabilitate him.

 


End file.
